Best .270 WSM

[LOTWKIng]

Just wondering what your take is on the best rifle to get for deer hunting. I'm a loyal browning user so I was lookin at the A-Bolt but its expensive and I'm thinkin to myself do I really want to spend all this money on a gun i'm using one wekend a year. Im not sure what to do.

[benelli_dude2002]

I shoot a stainless a-bolt in 300 WSM and got it for 700 $ and one day I was at the Outdoorsman Headquarters in Int'l Falls and asked what they wanted for a stainless a-bolt. They said I just missed a sale they had a week before I was there and they were going for 579 $ regardless of what WSM caliber you wanted. I know where to get my next deer rifle from and they said they would match or beat anyones price. I got my benelli SBE there a couple years ago for 1000$. I was impressed with their prices. I would call ahead and see what they have available. Hope this helps. by the way I see you are from the wheelers pt area? I aint too far down the road. I can see ben franklin and Mcdonalds from my house here in town. Good luck in finding a gun. Brian

[WB make the CUT]

I've had a WSM 270 A-bolt stianless, syn stock for 2 years, I love it.

It shoots great groups and does the job on Big bucks.

Dressed it up with a Burris scope, alot of money but you never loose money on a gun

[jlm]

I know I always do this so I will say sorry on the front end (plugging Weatherby). Take a look at the 270 Weatherby Mags, they are a very sweet round. My opinion is that this is one of the best deer rounds out there. Weatherby now makes a little cheaper model of gun which will cost you far less than what you mentioned above. Good luck!

[FOOT]

Having shot deer with a 12ga shotgun, 30/30, 243, 270, 30.06, 7mm magnum I would say the best weapon for deer is the 270.

It shoots fairly flat for longer ranges, there is a wide variety of commercial loads available if you don't reload, the caliber is extremely popular and can be used on other big game.

My second choice would be either the 30.06 or 7mm. The 243 is a little light but it knocked a nice 8 pointer head or heels at 80 yards. For close range you can't beat the 12ga or 30/30.

[outdoorsman1972]

I also have used a 7mm Rem mag, 30.06 and bought a Tikka .270 WSM last year and love it. It is the most accurate rifle out of the box i have ever shot. It also has the smoothest bolt of any sporting hunting rifle I have shot. If you know someone that has one you should give it a try and you won't be sorry.

[bob56468]

I have had a Rem A-Bolt 30-06 and 7mm Mag. Then I bought my Winchester Featherweight 270. This by far is the best gun I have ever had. It's almost like toting around a .22 in the woods and the groups it shoots are wonderful. I paid around $500 for the gun and put a $200 Burris scope on it.

I love the Burris. It is a quality scope and has a lifetime warranty.

Remington is now offering the .270 as combo packaged with a scope for around $300. This seems like a great deal. I would consider replacing the Bushnell scope it comes with however with a quality scope.

[marine_man]

I've had a 270 WSM A Bolt Hunter now for 2 years and really like it. I like the short action of the bolt, and didn't have a problem last year knocking down a deer. The only drawback so far is the lack of bullet availability.. choices are pretty limited, but it appears there are about 3 new loads our for this year which is a big improvement over last year.

marine_man

[almostthere!]

Buy yourself a Tikka. The Tikka has smoother trigger and cheaper price tag. For the price of a wooded A-bolt, you can purchase the laminated stainless Tikka.

[walleye_guy18]

not sure how much money you are lookin to spend, but If you want a cheaper gun that will shoot with the best of them go with a bolt action savage. I bought their package deal with the new accu trigger last year for $400 at scheels. I can consistently put 130grain winchesters threw an oil container at 400 yards.

walleye_guy18

[catman71]

i agree with the Savage endorsment. The new triggers are great, the guns are light and reasonably priced. They group very nice out of the box. I have 5 assorted Savages and have had nothing but great luck!

[buzzsaw]

I own the Browning Medallion A-bolt 270 WSM and use the WSM silver tips and a Nikon Monarch gold scope. I have used the 30-30, a 30-06 and like this gun the best. I'll back what others have said about the bullet trajectory flying straighter than others, making it a better option across large farm fields.

Here is something I found on the internet.

Ruger M77R Mark II

The Ruger .270 accounted itself well in our test, consistently developing groups very near 1 inch, satisfactory downrange performance in a hunter-class silo rifle or hunting-only rifle.

Also, cosmetically and operationally, the M77R was one of the test’s best. The Ruger’s straight stock, which was a beautifully grained light walnut, was accented by a low-sheen finish and sharp, deep checkering on the grip and forearm. Its stainless-steel bolt and stainless bolt handle also gave the gun a distinctive appearance we liked, and the bolt operated very smoothly.

On the downside, the test rifle had a horrible trigger, which suffered from substantial creep before the shot let off at 51/2 pounds. However, Ruger factory guns have a well-earned reputation for atrocious trigger adjustment when they come from the plant. But in our experience, those triggers can be lightened, smoothed, and made crisper by a gunsmith—usually for around $35. That, plus a bedding job, would draw the price of the Ruger about equal to the Browning in value for the dollar. There’s only 1/4-pound difference in weight between the M77R and the Medallion, and the difference in how well they shot was thin: the Medallion performed 1/10-inch better overall.

On the other hand, the Ruger had an edge in that it came with integral scope rings and bases, while the Medallion didn’t. Also, we liked the Mauser-style bolt on the Ruger better than the bolt on the Medallion. It was very smooth and fed and extracted shells more smoothly than the others.

Browning A-Bolt II Medallion

This model was the most accurate in the test, shooting groups that, overall, averaged 0.89 inches in size. We think the Medallion gained this slight margin over the Ruger because the Medallion comes from the factory with a free-floating barrel.

Bedding a rifle action to float a barrel away from the stock is a technique gunsmiths routinely perform to accurize poor-shooting rifles. If the wooden stock, which can warp due to heat, cold, humidity, or other factors, comes in contact with the barrel, the barrel can move on and off zero, which, of course, makes it shoot inconsistently.

Clyde Rose, Browning’s chief design engineer, said the company uses a special rubber bedding that free-floats the barrel away from the rifle’s forearm stock and dampens some barrel vibration. “This consistency leads to a consistent performance on the target,” Rose avers, and our testing bears him out.

Though we shot our test rifles in the temperature- and humidity-controlled Federal facility, we saw the Ruger, Remington, and Winchester rifles string shots vertically and horizontally as their barrels warmed and cooled. The Browning didn’t exhibit this trait.

The $672.95 Medallion A-Bolt II had a slightly better trim level that our other test guns, including a lightly engraved receiver and magazine floor plate, a rosewood grip cap, a rosewood forearm cap, and a highly polished barrel. As well as being accurate, the rifle had a crisp trigger free of creep and mushiness, and its short-throw (60-degree rotation) bolt operated smoothly. Its deep grip and forearm checkering provided solid gripping surfaces, though we wish the forearm checkering wrapped under the stock like on the Winchester and Remington models.

Otherwise, we only have nits to pick with the Medallion. The gun’s dark walnut stock and the high-luster finish were smoothly executed, but because game animals might see the flash of the Medallion’s shiny stock, we prefer the low-luster finish on the Ruger and Winchester rifles.

Winchester Model 70 Classic Sporter

Overall, this U.S. Repeating Arms Co. (USRAC) rifle, which carries the Winchester name, shot groups measuring under 1.2 inches, and with Federal’s Classic Hi-Shok 150-grain round-nose soft-point ammunition, it averaged 0.86 inches in test groups. It also has a Mauser claw extraction-style bolt (also found on the Ruger), which harks back to the famous pre-’64 actions many hunters cherish.

The Classic Sporter’s appearance, like the Ruger’s, is restrained but attractive, particularly the stock’s low-sheen finish, which showed off the walnut’s straight grain. Also, unlike the other rifles, the Model 70 didn’t have a highly polished gold trigger (like the Browning) or a shiny stainless trigger shoe or bolt handle (like the Ruger), or a reflective stock finish (like the Remington) that might alert game animals.

Remington Model 700 BDL DM

As with the Winchester, the Model 700’s downrange performance is slightly worse than the Ruger and Browning guns. With two of the three Federal rounds, the Remington shot very near 1 minute of angle, and at its worst, it still printed 11/2-inch groups. For many hunter silhouette shooters, that’s more than sufficient.

Additionally, this rifle has some other things going for it. It has a flashy styling that many outdoorsmen prefer, with white-line spacers setting off the black butt plate, grip cap, and forearm cap. The gun’s 20-lines-to-the-inch skip-line checkering was deep and sharp, which provided excellent grasping surfaces on the grip and forearm. Operationally, it’s very smooth and refined overall, but we noticed some trigger creep that should be smoothed out by a gunsmith.

Field Tests Recommends

For hunters who want serviceable ballistic performance in an over-the-counter rifle, any of these standard bolt actions from Browning, Ruger, Winchester, and Remington will provide 1-MOA accuracy with the right loads, our tests showed. In our informed opinion, these companies turn out serviceable, affordable firearms, any of which will do the job.

However, if we were picking between the Remington Model 700 BDL DM, the Winchester Model 70 Classic Sporter, the Ruger M77R Mark II, or the Browning A-Bolt II Medallion, we would shop around for the best deal we could find between the Ruger and Browning models. Those two rifles were slightly more accurate in our tests, and showed good overall cosmetics, fit and finish, and function.

[buzzsaw]

Here is the NEW bullet info as well.

Shorter & Sweeter — Browning A-Bolt Rifles in New 223 WSSM & 243 WSSM Cartridges

Following the incredible success of the Winchester Short Magnum (WSM) concept, many people in the hunting and shooting world wondered just what Browning and Winchester ammunition had in store for 2003...

Surprise.

For the third straight year, Browning firearms, in conjunction with Winchester firearms and Winchester ammunition, proudly introduces two more short, — super-short actually — fat cartridges. The all new 223 WSSM and 243 WSSM. No, WSSM is not a typo, WSSM stands for Winchester Super-Short Magnum, and they’re the latest short, fat cartridges to be chambered in the versatile A-Bolt rifle. It’s a safe bet that no one saw these high-velocity, tack-driving cartridges coming. Hence, Browning stands on the verge of a cartridge revolution yet again.

When we say “Super-Short,” we mean it. The new WSSM cases are nearly 1/2" shorter (2.36" overall cartridge length) than the already short-action WSM cartridges. However, the body diameter and case head dimensions remain the same, making for both a super-short and super-fat cartridge providing incredible speed and downrange energy.

Bullet, Weight (grains) Overall Cartridge Length (inches) Muzzle Velocity (fps) Trajectory at 300 yds (0 at 100 yds) Muzzle Energy (ft. lbs.)

223 Ballistics Comparison

223 WSSM 55 grains 2.36" 3,850 fps -4.4 1,810

223 Rem. 55 grains 2.26" 3,240 fps -10.3 1,282

22-250 Rem. 55 grains 2.35" 3,680 fps -7.3 1,654

243 Ballistics Comparison

243 WSSM 55 grains 2.36" 4,060 fps -3.9 2,013

243 WSSM 95 grains 2.36" 3,250 fps -5.7 2,258

243 Win. 55 grains 2.71" 3,910 fps -6 1,867

243 Win. 95 grains 2.71" 3,100 fps -10.3 2,021

Thanks to the large diameter case, benefits from the WSM, like uniform powder burn for shot consistency and recoil reduction, carry over to the new WSSM cartridges. Bullet velocity to the tune of 4,060 fps from the 243 WSSM firing Winchester 55 grain Ballistic Silvertip ammunition is a real world number, and put the new WSSM cartridges truly in a class of their own. For more ballistic comparisons, check out the accompanying chart.

These new, shorter cartridges also mean a new, shorter action to shoot them from. The new A-Bolt super-short action is approximately 1/2" shorter than the current short-action. Tailoring a new, shorter action for the WSSM eliminates the potential of misfeeds that might occur from mating these shorter cartridges to an existing short action. The shorter action is also significantly stiffer, which improves accuracy. In addition to accuracy, losing 1/2" of receiver translates into other benefits: A shorter action cycles faster for quick follow-up shots and means less weight for you to pack around all day long.

Think about it, with ballistics and benefits like these, an A-Bolt WSSM could very well become your favorite benchrest rifle, varmint rifle and lightweight mountain rifle all rolled into a single great looking, reliable, high-performance package.

Browning A-Bolt rifles in 223 WSSM and 243 WSSM will be available in Hunter, Classic Hunter, Stainless Stalker, Varmint Stalker, Composite Stalker, and Medallion.

[buzzsaw]

Check out this link.

web page

[LOTWKIng]

I got the Tikka. Oh man is that thing sweat and accurate. Thanks for all the info and help.

[outdoorsman1972]

You made a great choice LOTWKing. I can't believe you were able to find one this tome of year. Every wholesaler I deal with can't keep them in stock. I ordered one for a friend of mine in July and had a hard time gettnig one then. Hope you enjoy it.

[almostthere!]

LOTWKing,

I am happy for you. Wish the wife would let me buy a new rifle; tikka 243 ss/laminate. She said if I wanted the Tikka, I will have to trade in my Browning A-Bolt II Medallion: not happening.

Were you lucky enough to get the Laminate stainless steel Tikka? These suckers are hard to find.

Happy shooting.